Kent 278 (Evison 77*, Lawes 3-41) and 80 for 4 (Mueyeye 42, Crawley 31*, Lawes 2-2) path Surrey 362 (Abbott 78, Sibley 60, Atkinson 55*, Bhuiyan 4-65) by 4 runs

The guests go into the weekend up towards it, not least as a result of there aren't many higher than the Division One leaders and defending champions at turning the screw within the second half of matches. That Kent had been in a position to go toe-to-toe with them for many of Friday was due to Arafat.

The 26-year-old's 4 for 55 had Surrey on the ropes, with 180 for six on the board, earlier than Abbott counter-attacked to 329 and Atkinson's blow landed them on 362. There was no dismay from the seamer as he missed out on a five-wicket haul on debut. The 4 he did nab had been as spectacular as any milestone.

Jamie Smith turned the second; indeterminate footwork and a unfastened try at a punch sending an edge to Jack Leaning at second slip. In the area of 4 deliveries, he had Ben Foakes - one other catch to Leaning - and Will Jacks, who had struck Arafat for six over sq. leg earlier than being too sluggish on a pull and gifting a catch to Michael Hogan at mid off.

Past, current and future England internationals in his first go at this stage. As far as dream begins go, this might take some beating for a cricketer who solely turned skilled two days in the past. The motion itself is easy, vitality collected within the collect and launched with a smoothness that means there's so much to work with, notably an outswinger that moved late sufficient to shock a powerful batting line-up past the dismissals on the scorecard. The run-up begins tentatively, however that may be smoothed out at this stage. He is greater than succesful, and keen to get higher.

"To be able to get four first class wickets on my debut in the first innings, I'm over the moon really," stated Arafat. "I'm here to do well and I'm always going to keep my mind that way."

"I was more nervous yesterday than today," he stated. "Today I came in and I needed to bowl some overs in the nets. I was more nervous bowling than batting yesterday. But today it came out quite nice."

Born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Arafat moved right here on the age of 14 and has UK residency. Living in east London, it was solely a brief prepare to Chelmsford, the place Bangladesh had been enjoying Ireland in three ODIs final week. Arafat, although, was unable to attend as he was up in Kidderminster getting ready for a 2nd XI match for Worcestershire towards Warwickshire. Rain ended up washing out the match utterly.

That just about displays Arafat's journey up to now. Lots of second-team cricket and lots of ready. As it occurs, a primary style of county seconds got here at Surrey, enjoying alongside Pope towards a Kent XI that additionally featured Crawley again in 2017. Stints for Derbyshire and Essex twos adopted. There was a interval on the MCC Young Cricketers' Scheme, although that got here to an finish after only a 12 months. To have fallen by way of the gaps in a programme thought to be a security web should have been a blow. But Arafat's persistence gained out.

He provides particular credit score to the South Asian Cricket Academy, an initiative established forward of the 2022 season, which did not simply catch him however allowed him to thrive. SACA, co-founded by Dr Tom Brown and former England worldwide Kabir Ali, made preparations to maneuver Arafat as much as Birmingham over the winter to affix their coaching programme on a full-time foundation. He then showcased his skills throughout a trial session at Leyton Cricket Ground's indoor faculty in February, with Kent head coach Matt Walker in attendance.

After impressing in Kent's seconds with 17 wickets, he was supplied a contract earlier this week to enhance the membership's bowling depth, turning into SACA's seventh "graduate" to maneuver from the scheme onto a county contract. All the onerous work, all of the second crew gigs, all of the ready had come good. That he is just one of three British Bangladeshis to have been on employees at a county - a neighborhood in extra of 600,000 - speaks to the required work SACA are doing to enhance British Asian illustration within the county recreation.

"I've worked hard for this," Arafat stated. "Seven years is a long time to become a professional cricketer. Playing for different counties, trialling around. There are quite a lot of other people, it's not only just me. There are a lot of people trialling, still trying. I happened to be at Kent in pre-season, and obviously being at SACA has helped me. I'm going to give credit to Dr Tom Brown who has helped me during the winters."

Arafat's teammates from Blackheath Cricket Club have been on the Oval these final couple of days, congregating down at wonderful leg with him between spells and infrequently utilizing the promoting boards to drum their approval all through his 20 overs. His twin brother has been watching him intently, and there may be hope his mother and father will probably be in attendance on Saturday.

They must watch him bat first as Kent look to ascertain a adequate result in give him and their bowlers one thing to work with. That nightwatchman Wes Agar was one of many 4 misplaced within the night session does no less than imply there are just a few batters to come back to pump up this second-innings rating, together with Crawley who seems settled and hungry for one thing massive.

Surrey might argue they need to be additional in entrance given the character of a few of the choices towards them. Most contentious was Sibley's on the stroke of lunch, after Joey Evison had discovered his edge. In actual time, it regarded a spectacular diving catch from Leaning to his left, however replays had been lower than convincing. Even Sam Curran, all the time of Surrey however a Punjab King till the top of May, took to Twitter to supply an opinion - very not out, to paraphrase - with an accompanying screenshot, each of which had been deleted fairly rapidly.

Lawes, too, felt aggrieved when Agar used the brand new ball get some further carry off the pitch. An edge ballooned to first slip, although evaluation of the replays and the loop of the ball advised the deflection was off the proper shoulder of his physique fairly than the bat. Fair to say that they had their revenge by stumps.

Vithushan Ehantharajah is an affiliate editor at ESPNcricinfo